Driven To Distraction
by Evela Skye
Summary: Harry and Luna have become good friends, but what does their new relationship really mean?


Disclaimer: I wish I were J.K. Rowling, but i'm not so I'm only borrowing her ideas. I'm not making any profit from this.

Harry and Luna had been studying together a lot over the short time they had been back at school. Harry had become increasingly curious about Luna since their conversation at the end of last year. It had come after a difficult time for him and offered him comfort; she too had heard the voices beyond the veil. Over the summer he had often found himself, without warning, thinking of her. He wondered if she enjoyed her holiday.

Once they were back at school Harry noticed that wherever he went Luna was nearby. This un-nerved Harry somewhat but Luna was oblivious to this fact until Harry eventually plucked up courage to speak to her one day in the library. Speaking to Luna consisted mainly of an awkward hello, goodness knows what she was going to say.

"You can come and join me if you like" She had said airily "I don't mind". Harry stood and thought for a moment before he decided to sit at Luna's empty table.

They both found that this was a good way to study, most of the time they sat in silence, but occasionally would speak to offer some sort of distraction, when needed. Also Luna found it useful to sit with an older student who had already studied what she was working on and could get some help if required. They never properly arranged to meet it happened of it's own accord and neither party objected to it.

Ron and Hermione on the other hand had found it very odd, when they did find out. However they never mentioned it around Harry as they saw this as a way for him to escape.

"But it's Loony Lovegood, Hermione." Ron had said during a conversation about Harry's recent behaviour.

"Yes, but it's good for him. He needs a... distraction. Thinking space. We shouldn't get in his way."

"But Loony?" Ron insisted.

"You shouldn't call her that." Hermione snapped the talk to an end.

Harry and Luna were sat in the library some time before dinner one evening in late October. Outside was dark and stormy which meant all the lamps were lit in the large book filled room. There were a few other students in there but Harry and Luna shared a table, sitting opposite from one another. Books and parchment littered the table. Harry was practicing a charm without much success, his mind distracted he set down his wand.

"What was she like?" Harry broke the silence to ask.

"Who?" snapped Luna as she whipped her head towards him. Harry had clearly broken her concentration.

"Your mother" he continued gently.

"I don't remember too much about her" she began "I like to hear my dad talk about her" There was another silence between them.

"It's nice to know what she was like but it's not really important. I know she loved me." She concluded and dipped her head back into the book on transfiguration she was reading.

Harry didn't return to his study straightaway as they sat in the quiet library. Instead he followed a tail of Luna's dirty blonde hair from its tip, which rested on the page she was reading right up past her porcelain doll face with its gentle features. Her full rose pink lips, peach like cheeks and large, dark distant eyes.

He must have been looking at her for a little too long, because she now lifted her head up slightly and looked straight at him with a curiosity on that doll like face of hers. A blush began to show itself on Harry's cheeks he felt the heat and lifted his book higher to hide it.

Luna _did_ notice this and it made her mind stir. She had stared like that at many people, including Harry but no one had blushed before.

_Why Him, now?_

__

They remained in silence until it was time to go down to the great hall for dinner. As they stood and began to pack away their books and parchment both of them would lift their head and look at the other for a moment before returning. Neither of them broke the increasingly uncomfortable silence building between them. Harry had cleared his side of the table first and made to leave, but before he did he glanced once again at Luna who looked back and then watched as Harry then turned and left.

Harry was quieter than normal at dinner, but he still made some effort to speak to his two best friends. He didn't want to arouse too many suspicions in them that would lead to awkward questions he didn't know how to answer yet.

"It's a shame quidditch practice was cancelled." He had said mainly for something to say.

"Yeah," Ron had said. "But I didn't fancy getting hit by lightning mate."

"Of course," Hermione piped up "It gives you the perfect opportunity to finish that charms assignment I know neither of you are any way near completing." Both young men gave each other a look while Hermione scowled at them mockingly. So, later that evening under Hermione's watchful glare they endeavoured to work on their charms.

As he lay in bed that night, waiting for sleep to take him he thought back to that moment in the library where he felt uncomfortable under her intense glare.

There was definitely a connection between them but Harry didn't feel how he used to feel around Cho when his stomach would flip and his heart race. This was a different feeling, a new one he didn't understand at all.

Harry and Luna didn't meet again for a few days after the strange moment they had shared. When they did, It wasn't as uncomfortable as either of them had expected it to be. It was Saturday and Harry had found himself an empty table in the library. He had not long been sitting when Luna floated in and automatically sat beside him, opened her books and started work. He looked at her for a few seconds almost as if stunned that she was acting somewhat normally. The he continued to work as well.

"Is this right?" she asked as she held out her work for Harry to read through. "Potions isn't my strong subject."

"No" Harry smiled, "mine neither, but this is ok, you might want to check that spelling," He said handing it back hoping that he didn't sound too much like Hermione.

Luna smiled. He was sounding more and more like Hermione all the time.

"Thanks Harry" and she returned to her work to correct the spelling.

Luna began packing her things up early before Lunch. Harry automatically did the same, without checking the time himself.

"It's a bit early yet, you know?" she informed him.

"Oh, is it?" He looked shocked and felt silly. Harry looked down at his watch. It was true there was a good half hour or so to go.

Before he knew it a strange feeling had come over him. The Gryffindor bravery flooded through his veins.

"Well then, we've got some time to kill. How about a walk?"

Luna's mind fell from the clouds with a thud when she heard this. Harry began to regret what he said since now Luna was just staring at him in disbelief.

"I...Er... Look sorry, just forget what I said" Harry stammered.

"No let's walk" She smiled as she said this and it was Harry's turn to look shocked.

"OK, cool"

They left the library and wandered around the corridors at first in silence then, as they grew accustomed to each other without the safety of the library or study they spoke more. They spoke about everything from Threstals to their shared dislike of Dolores Umbridge. Harry, as he listened to Luna, found that he felt less sorry for her and his admiration grow. She had been through a lot and had carried on and never cared what people thought of her. Harry found it so easy to talk to her and she to him. By the time they reached the great hall for lunch, they were laughing and joking like the best of friends.

Harry was still smiling as he sat down by Ron and Hermione at the Gryffindor table. Hermione was smiling at the sight of his grin and the look of confusion on Ron's face.

"Erm, Harry?" Ron started

"Yes?"

"You were looking, erm, there with Looney." Harry scowled and Hermione broke her smile briefly to glare at Ron for not being as understanding as he should.

"I've never really spoken to her before, she's OK, good fun"

"Do you fancy her?" Ron asked.

"What? No, nothing like that we get on as friends" Ron gave a look that said he wasn't going to argue even though he didn't believe a word of it. Hermione just smiled to herself.

For now the matter was dropped and the three friends began lunch.

Harry, Ron and Hermione spent that evening in the common room. Hermione sat curled up with a book in the corner and Ron was wiping the floor with Harry at wizard chess. It was no wonder Harry was losing so badly when Luna kept floating into his mind. He couldn't believe he had gotten on so well with her. He wondered why he was so surprised by Ron's question. Of course he didn't fancy her, they were friends. Weren't they?

Luna spent that evening in the Ravenclaw common room. She sat in the corner reading through some potential Quibbler articles that her father had sent her. She wasn't paying much attention to them. Not even the interview with the muggle woman who wrote popular books about wizards and witches could keep her mind off Potter for long. He had been the first guy to ever pay hey any attention. He listened to her, really listened and he didn't care if the things she said sounded a little weird. He tried to understand. No one had ever shown her this much understanding and she did notice what other people thought of her and it did hurt, she just never showed it. Everybody likes to be liked and now the most popular boy in school (and the wizarding world) was taking an interest.

During their next study session some days later Harry and Luna found that they did less studying than normal and tried to talk to each other as much as possible without Madam Pince throwing them out of the library. This continued through their next few meetings together.

Then something changed.

It happened one morning during breakfast. The post arrived as normal. Hedwig would often come and see Harry and Harry never expected her to swoop down empty clawed.

Today she had a piece of parchment tied to her leg, which she held out for him to retrieve. Harry opened up the scroll and looked frightened as he read what was written. He was only pulled out of his shock by Hedwig trying to bite his nose.

_Harry,_

_Will you meet me tonight? Eleven o'clock in the room of requirement. I'll wait half an hour._

_Luna_

Luna knew she was taking a risk by sending it she didn't want to ruin this new friendship she had found.

Harry did get a shock when he saw those words, not because they were particularly unexpected but because he wanted to go and meet her.

Over breakfast Ron had given him an enquiring glance but Harry shook it off with an excuse.

By the time ten thirty came Harry was in the Gryffindor common room, a tense bundle of nerves. He had been thinking about his meeting all day and had become increasingly worried about what it could mean. _What would she say? How would I respond? What should I wear?_ He fidgeted in his chair and got up to walk around the room a couple of times. His eye and his watch barely parted.

"Are you ok Harry?" Hermione was concerned.

"mm, Harry said, I think I've got indigestion. I can't settle."

"well if you need anything" When Hermione said this it was clear she was not speaking of Harry's stomach.

He left at ten fifty under his invisibility cloak since the common room was still crowded and the corridors would be watched also. He arrived at the room of requirement at five past eleven. When he got there his heart was racing and he had to take a few moments to calm himself down before taking a firm grip on the knob and opening the door. Harry was surprised to now find himself stepping into a replica of the library. The room was smaller of course but felt just as spacious. Luna was sitting at what appeared to be their favourite study table, the one hidden in the corner where Madam Pince's view was restricted by a bookshelf.

She was sitting at the table with a few books in front of her but it was an issue of the Quibbler that had her attention, or seemed to. Luna lifted her head as she heard the door creak open.

"Hi Harry" she beamed as she saw him appear from under the invisibility cloak. "I hope you don't mind, I needed some company. Y'see it's, or would have been my mum's birthday today."

Harry felt himself relax as he heard that there were no sinister plots afoot and he would be able to feel comfortable in her presence. They sat and talked, Harry asked Luna about her mother and Luna was happy to talk about the experimental witch.

"What about your parents, Harry?" she had asked.

"What about them?" He replied, "I don't miss them, I never knew them. I do miss having any parents. But when I'm here in Hogwarts there are so many nice reminders of the nice people that they were that I'm just glad to be here."

"It's half one Harry, I better get back to dorms."

Harry seemed disappointed at first but he smiled back and agreed. Luna smiled again.

"Thanks Harry" Then she leant over and kissed him on the cheek. She got up off her chair and made to leave, but before she had reached the door Harry had jumped to his feet and had grabbed her hand to stop her leaving. Harry felt certain as he brought his lips towards hers. Luna, to his surprise didn't stop him as he put his arms around her. She stroked her back as the kiss became more intense. Harry found that Luna's mouth was deliciously warm and tasted perfect as his tongue gently pressed against hers. She enjoyed the kiss and showed it by making a soft whimper. Harry slowly broke away but left one last quick kiss as if to seal the moment.

"Goodnight Luna" He whispered.

"Goodnight Harry" and she was gone.


End file.
